Al-Museeqa (Music) - Part 2

The late Ahmed H Sheriff in his article entitled “Al-Ghinaa War-Raqs” meaning “Singing & Dancing” writes:

When Prophet Adam (as) died, his disobedient son Qabil (the one who killed his brother Habil) and Shaitaan became happy. Together they built some musical instruments to celebrate the death. So all musical instruments now used in singing and dancing have their origin from there.

Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (as) has said:

“Angels do not even enter a house that has wine, drum, tambourine or a flute. Even the prayers of the Inhabitants of this house are unacceptable. They are deprived of Barakah meaning blessings”.

Imam Ali ibn Mussa ar-Ridha (as) has been reported saying:

“A person invites Divine wrath when in his house instruments like flute, drum and chess are played for fourty days. If this man dies within fourty days, his death would be of a sinner and a transgressor. His place shall be in hell. And what a dreadful place it is!”

It should be borne that there is nothing which Allah (SWT) has made lawful or unlawful except with reasons beneficial for man. Some reasons are clear and some await to become evident with time and progress in the field of knowledge.

Of the several bad effects, Music is known to:

Boost emotions and arouse lust and sensual powers beyond natural limit and to dominate over one’s ‘Aql i.e. intellect.

Allah (SWT) has blessed man with two main faculties (powers): Intellect and Emotions. The first faculty is designed to guide and control emotions which produce desires and anger. If man wishes to remain on the right path of Islam and safeguard against sins, then he must always hold ‘intellect’ as supreme and all his actions be committed under its guidance. It is his intellect which he must develop to dominate over all his other faculties.

 There is no doubt that music serves as a kind of intoxicant in a manner which makes one forget his self-esteem and his surrounding. It also stirs violence and unruly behaviour. The Late Ahmed H Sheriff in his aforementioned article sites the following example:

About 50,000 youths once gathered in Melbourne, Australia for a musical concert. They became overpowered with it so much that they started assaulting each other with fists and knives. Many were so excited with the music that they did not realize what they were doing, so the police had to come in to control the situation.

Frankly, such sights are very common everywhere around the pubs and discos today. Usually, on every Monday, numerous incidents of such violence are reported in the newspapers and tabloids.

Moreover, those engaged in the profession of singing and dancing sink to the lowest levels of immorality. Visit any disco and watch any music channel, it invites one to nothing but promiscuity. The dominant theme of these so-called entertainment places is ‘illicit sex’. The contents of most of the songs and the nature of dancing by both men and women stirs sexual desires. All these certainly leads us to the conclusion that there is a very close relationship between music, dancing and prostitution. Thus the saying of the Holy Prophet (saw) that, “ music is the magic of fornication”  can easily be understood.

                                                                 To be continued………………………..

Readers are humbly requested to recite Surah al-Fatihah for the thawaab of Ayatullah Dasti Ghayb, Late Ahmed H Sheriff and all the Marhumeen.

Mulla Mujaheedali Sheriff

mulla@almahdi.org.uk